Maria joins the Stars

Maria Sharapova, heads an illustrious line-up of stars in this year’s Illes Balears tennis trophy.

She will captain an interna-tional team against Mallorca’s Carlos Moya, French Open champion, Rafa Nadal, and young stars, Bartomeu Selva and Nuria Llagostera.
The tournament will take place at a specia-lly constructed stadium and court in Costa D’en Blanes on May 23 and 24. Previously held on the beach at Santa Ponsa, the tournament has featured stars from the world of men’s tennis. But, this year, the trophy has a new format – in a Mallorca versus the rest of the world competition.

It is organised by international sports management consultants, IMG. Maria has already confirmed her participation, but the organisers have yet to reveal who will be joining her in the international team.

It is forecast a rising young star and two high-ranking players from the professional tour will play. The first-day competition format will involve Mana-cor-born Moya, in singles action and playing doubles with Nadal. Maria will face young Mallorca star, Llagostera, in the women’s singles and Nadal and Selva will also feature on day two.

Happy Birthday, Maria!

Maria Sharapova (by Kathy Ehrich-Dowd)

After a few weeks off, No. 4-ranked Maria Sharapova, who turns 19 on April 19, says she'll be ready to jump back into the tournament circuit after losing to her Russian rival Svetlana Kuznetsova in Miami at the NASDAQ-100 last month.

That gives the tennis star, who's been living in Bradenton, Fla., time to relax at her new Los Angeles home, a house she bought on Manhattan Beach. PEOPLE recently caught up with the Wimbledon champ and got the scoop on her new pad, the incident in Miami and her extra inch.

You had some drama recently in Miami, when you had to use the restroom during a match and the audience booed. How did you handle it?
I'm a woman. I have a small bladder. I needed to go – what are you going to do when you gotta go? Actually, it was a really tough situation in the match because I was winning and then she started coming back. It actually ended very dramatically – it was very unfortunate – the girl (Tatiana Golovin of France) twisted her ankle. But that's tennis. We all need a little drama.

You've been playing a lot. What's your training schedule?
I just finished a tournament a week ago, I've been shooting for my sponsors, then I have a few days to start training again. I'll have like two weeks off and back to the tournaments.

How do you keep in shape in addition to playing tennis?
I work out. I love yoga. I do yoga when I have time, which is not very often. I'm not a huge gym person, so I try to stay away from the gym. But I love to run on the beach or go for a walk. It's better than riding a stationary bike.

I read that you grew an inch last year, to 6'2". Do you feel any different?
Well, I can see a little more hair now.


And you just bought a home in Manhattan Beach. How do you like it?
I love it. I've always loved L.A. but never seemed to find a place. But I finally found a really nice house.

How are you decorating it?
It's modern nature. It's really cool. I've been adding a lot of wooden pieces to it. I love Balinese style, so I'm making it really homey. I'm always on the lookout for new little boutiques, but I travel around the world so that gives me different ideas.

Are you dating anyone?
I don't want to talk about that, I'm sorry. But I love how you tried to sneak that one in!

Wimbledon tennis museum

LONDON - A ghostly John McEnroe and Maria Sharapova's pulsing heart are two of the more eye-catching sights at the new Wimbledon tennis museum which opened on Wednesday.

The All England Club, readying itself for the grasscourt grand slam which starts on June 26, unveiled the revamped facility which contains startling technological innovations belying Wimbledon's stuffy image. Three times singles champion McEnroe famously ruffled the feathers of the Wimbledon establishment with his on-court tantrums in the late 1970s.

Now the 47-year-old American has a special place at the All England Club as a museum exhibit. McEnroe reminisces about his Wimbledon experiences in a recreated 1980s Gentlemen's Dressing Room as a life-size apparition using a projection technique called 'Pepper's Ghost'.

The McEnroe phantom competes for attention with a 200-degree 3-D cinema room that takes the viewer right inside the heart and mind of 2004 women's champion Sharapova.
Footage from the Russian's first round victory over Spaniard Nuria Llagostera Vives on Centre Court last year is interspersed with Hollywood-style production techniques that allow the viewer to witness the effect of the game on the player's heart, racket, the ball and even her shoes.

A pair of the pirate pants worn by Spanish world number two Rafael Nadal hang alongside the more conventional kits of Sharapova, three times men's champion Roger Federer and three times women's champion Venus Williams.

The shirt and shorts of new number one Andy Murray are also on display. Perhaps in a sign of changing times, fans of four-times Wimbledon semi-finalist Tim Henman, now ranked a lowly 63, will find only a racket from his 2002 campaign.

Epoch Times International

Land Rover announced a multi-year relationship with Maria

Land Rover announced a multi-year relationship with Wimbledon Champion and one of the world's most talented female athletes -- Maria Sharapova.

The internationally regarded 18-year-old will formally assume a new role as an ambassador for the Land Rover brand at an exclusive Land Rover VIP event this evening [April 11, 2006] in New York. The multi- year relationship includes her use of Land Rover vehicles, and her participation in retail promotions and events.

Sharapova joins the Land Rover team with a multitude of accomplishments including winning Wimbledon in 2004 and being named among the "50 Most Beautiful People" by People Magazine in 2005. Her global personality and strong performance in international tennis is the perfect match for Land Rover, a brand that offers a modern line-up of powerful and award-winning Sport Utility Vehicles.

"Her drive to win on the court combined with her need for the latest technology to keep her on the road to success means this new relationship is a winning combination and a natural fit," said Mike O'Driscoll, President, Aston Martin Jaguar Land Rover North America. "In many ways, she reflects the same sense of adventure and extraordinary abilities that our vehicles represent. Maria's determination and inspirational success combine to make her a global icon and we are delighted that she will be associated with Land Rover."

Having introduced three new models -- the Land Rover LR3, Range Rover Sport and the 2006 Range Rover -- in the last 18 months, Land Rover has established an award-winning portfolio of SUVs.

"Having the right transportation is very important to me as it takes me to practice, to the game and to all my personal appearances," said Maria Sharapova. "When I won Wimbledon, I told myself, 'now I can have a Land Rover.' Now that I am driving myself I love the protection and style that this adds to my daily commute."